Saturday, March 8, 2014

Happy International Women's Day!

This appeared in Mumbai Mirror...

Happy Women’s Day, readers!

After the longest time, I am uttering these
words ( Happy Women’s Day!) without
feeling and sounding phony to myself.
The reason may appear idiotic and frivolous, but it happens to be true! I
watched ‘Queen’… and something inside me automatically clicked on the ‘Like’
button of my heart and mind. ‘Queen’ is certainly not the greatest movie ever
made. But there was something incredibly true and moving about it. None of this
would have worked had it not been for Kangana Ranaut’s heartbreakingly sincere
performance in the title role. The movie’s bagged its well deserved stars from
reviewers. But I am not at all sure those favourable reviews will convert into impressive
box office numbers. After all, it’s a woman centric film, without a six pack actor
(what a relief!) to attract the masses. The only ‘hero’ is Kangana – and what a
superhero she is! I really cannot think of any other actress who would have accepted
a role that required her to bare her soul, not her body, and face the camera
sans make- up or fancy costumes. Given
Kangana’s fashionista image, this is a role that breaks several moulds and
fantasies in one go. Deglamourised , almost plain, and clad in ill-fitting
salwar- kameezes, Kangana lives her character ( Rani Mehra from Rajouri) and
makes us live her life with her.

It is a genuinely feminist film, without
being self-consciously so. Which is
another reason why it may alienate a section of the audience hooked on
testosterone-driven drivel that passes for entertainment ( and, unfortunately, also
makes big bucks) .‘Queen’ is a truly
modern movie that takes an unblinking
look at contemporary social
realities. Without giving the plot away,
in brief, ‘Queen’ is about a trusting, in love, naïve, suburban girl, who gets
dumped two days before the wedding (during her mehendi celebrations) . Her
boorish London -returned fiancé ( well
played by Rajkummar Rao) casually breaks
off the shaadi in a coffee shop (“ A lot
can happen over coffee’’ – the irony is not missed by anybody), saying her
modest status no longer matches his newly acquired grand one! Considering, it
is he who has relentlessly pursued her through college,the abrupt rejection
comes as a big, big blow to Rani (“Queen”). What happens next, is so unexpected
and uplifting, you have to watch the film and find out for yourself.

The message is simple : there is a ‘queen’
inside every woman. If only she can locate her! Sometimes, it takes a really
hard knock for that discovery to take place. But once a woman finds her inner
queen, there is no stopping her! We see Kangana’s transformation taking place
subtly and gradually. In cinematic terms, all the devices used to showcase this
change, work very well, without shouting even once. All the other characters of this splendid ensemble cast, are credible and
terrific – yes, the Russian( intense), the Japanese( amazing!), and the Italian
( yummy!). But it is Lisa Haydon playing ‘Vijay’, who not just holds her own,
but also manages to steal the show from Kangana in a few superbly scripted
scenes. Apart from Lisa, grandma Biji and baby brother Chhotu , along with
Kangana’s screen parents (“ Call me Ashu…”
says her mithai shop owner father to ‘Vijay’s’ cleavage, over Skype )
all contribute equally to creating an invigorating environment, a fresh space,
for a movie that does indeed speak a new language and instinctively taps into
today’s myriad small town ‘queens’
desperately looking for an escape and eventual redemption from the tyranny of
their narrow existence.

As for Kangana, I have been a die-hard
supporter and fan of this spunky, individualistic actress from the time I
watched her debut film. Here’s a Bollywood girl who has consistently defied the
stereotype and written her own rules to establish herself in a terrifyingly
competitive business. She doesn’t need
to have ‘Feminist’ tattooed across her forehead. Her life speaks for itself. It
is girls like Kangana and Parineeti Chopra ( ‘Shuddh Desi Romance’ was a real
gem) who will go down as game changers some day. And let’s also hand it to
their brave, risk taking directors and producers who have gone ahead and made
these delightful films which wake us up to say, “Hello! India has changed.
Women have changed….”

8th of March no longer seems
ridiculous! Have a wonderful time at the movies, folks!

"testosterone-driven drivel that passes for entertainment ( and, unfortunately, also makes big bucks)." Very apt way of expressing. Couldn't agree with you more. Parineeti Chopra is today's Jaya Bhaduri. Her performance in "Ishaqzade" reminded me of Jaya in "Guddi". But unfortunately, in our world of "testosterone-driven drivel", what has Jaya Bhaduris go to do ? Very unfortunate. I love that girl's down to earth nature so much.

Hello, mum! I thank full to you're great the written.But I understand only "Queen is certainly no the greatest movie ever made" but every one should understand without queen nothing can't do a king.It's not only applicable in modern the age, and also from the ancient's to till now and coming the age and at the end in the world. The movies are for only the moving generation not the entire... generation because ever things not permanent in the globe and all things have only certain limitation the age.

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Queen was an excellent reflection of womenhood, an excellent way to express her beliefs, her desire to find back her identity and her innocence of being completely unaware or rather ignore about what people feel or think about her after one point.

But its kinda wierd to have came across a women lately (well educated and in sinc with todays modern lifestyle) who watched this movie and was completely against it. She actually called me and asked me "you really liked this movie? i think it was obnoxious".

Dint quiet understand why she reacted or felt that way. Anyone who can answer this??

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